Silent Witness

August 5, 2013

We’ve profiled missing person cases, but this is a first: A missing sheep named Whitey.

Phoenix Police Sgt. Darren Burch said Whitey was taken from the Backyard Barnyard Foundation near 15th Avenue and Bethany Home Road.

“This happened between July 2 and July 3, 2013 and there was no sign of forced entry,” he said.

The foundation’s Bonnie Drescher said the sheep was in a fenced area with locked gates.

“We just can’t figure it out,” she said. “They had to have jumped the fence to get to her and however they were able to separate her from the rest of the group, we don’t know. There was no sign of a struggle.”

Drescher rescued Whitey and her best pal, Blackie, 12 years ago. Blackie is distraught and vocalizing a lot. The two were inseparable and even slept next to each other in the pasture.

Drescher’s heart is broken as well.

“The story itself is sad but when you see animals that come from rescue situations and it takes so long to gain their trust, and then that trust is violated, that’s the most heartbreaking thing.”